THE Saint Lucia Olympic Committee Incorporated (SLOC Inc) joins the Table Tennis and national sporting fraternity in expressing regrets following the passing of Paul Christopher who represented Saint Lucia in regional Table Tennis beginning in the late 1970’s to 1993.
Christopher was a national junior Under-16 Champion in 1978 and also represented the senior national team from 1980 to 1993. He first emerged on the national team playing at the Windward Islands Championships. He was instrumental in Saint Lucia’s success at the OECS Championships which begun in 1986. At the OECS Championships he helped Saint Lucia to win four Team Championship gold medal titles. On three occasions, in 1988, 1990 and 1992, Paul along with Urban Anderson won the OECS Doubles Championships gold medal titles.
President of the Saint Lucia Table Tennis Association Teddy Matthews, who played alongside Christopher, described him as a player who was very difficult to defeat when he was at his best.
” He was successful at the French Antilles, helping Saint Lucia to win five French Antilles Team Championship gold medal titles and one Team silver medal. Christopher represented Saint Lucia as well at Caribbean Senior Table Tennis Championships and was very competitive. His play was consistent and had excellent control of the ball. He had the ability to place the ball close to the white line with regularity causing his opponents much headache, ” Matthews remembered.
Paul Christopher was also an exceptional doubles player. Many who knew him thought he could have continued to play table tennis competitively as a force to be reckoned with but chose to discontinue playing beyond 1993.
The Saint Lucia Olympic Committee’s Executive Board and Member Federations would like to extend condolences to his family and the Table Tennis fraternity in general on the passing of an outstanding national representative.